Ethics panel cites GOP violations in Maine

The Maine Democratic Party complained that the Republican State Leadership Committee-Maine PAC missed the deadline for an independent expenditure report. Groups must file the reports within 24 hours so that publicly financed candidates can get matching funds quickly.

The state ethics commission agreed Thursday that the report was late, but deferred action on any penalty.

The Kennebec Journal says the panel also found that Republican gubernatorial candidate Paul LePage accepted donations from a family that exceeded the state's $750-per-person limit. The campaign said Thursday that the $550 overpayment was a mistake and returned the money.